Posted: Jan. 19, 2010

West Allis — The 900 block of South 114th Street was the scene of a 5 1/2 -hour standoff between police and a 49-year-old man Sunday.

It began with a call at 10 a.m. and ended around 3:30 p.m., when police entered the house and found the man unresponsive.

According to a police report:

West Allis police responded to the house after a call from a young child who said his father had stabbed his mother.

When police arrived, they found the mother and her three children safe outside the home. The woman was treated by West Allis paramedics after the man allegedly attacked her with two knives as she was dropping off her kids.

She was stabbed through her jacket. Her upper stomach area was pierced, but the knife did not break the skin. The children were taken to a safe area and their mother went to a neighbor's house during the incident.

The man, meanwhile, stayed inside the home, made threats to officers and talked about committing suicide, Deputy Police Chief Jerry Ponzi said.

Police officers attempted to negotiate the suspect, Ponzi said, but some time later they lost communication with the him.

Fearing the man had harmed himself, police decided to force their way into the residence. Inside, they found him unresponsive, having apparently consumed an unknown amount of medication, Ponzi said. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police will seek charges with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office after first getting a medical and mental health evaluation, Ponzi said.

The man has prior convictions for bail jumping and battery.

 

- Mark Schaaf